Nature Connectedness: Exploring Its Psychological, Emotional & Environmental Benefits

You may be asking yourself what on earth is 'Nature Connectedness' and why does it matter?!

Well, it matters because the eco-psychological construct of ‘nature connectedness’ or ‘oneness with nature’ is positively associated with both psychological well - being and pro-environmental behaviours.

In this article, I will explore the current challenges of climate warming, wildlife loss and mental health; they evidence that the human relationship with nature is failing. I will also explore how nature has become less important in our lives (e.g. cultural references) and overlooked in our well-being. It is important to consider physical connections with nature before introducing the psychological construct of nature connectedness and how it goes beyond simple contact with nature to provide a missing link in the journey to a new relationship with nature to a sustainable future.

What is ‘Nature Connectedness’ ?

Nature connectedness can be seen as representing several concepts. Firstly, it can be viewed as an individual’s sense of their relationship with the natural world that transcends mere contact or exposure to nature (contemporary urbanisation and technology are increasingly seen as influential to the point where people may now see themselves as separate from nature). Secondly, it involves a sense of meaningful involvement in something larger than oneself. We do engage in communal activities in order to feel more at home on the social level of existence and less alienated.

The same principle applies to the effect of commitment on our relationship to Nature or spiritual values. 'To the extent that I expose myself to Nature, involve myself with her- dig in the garden, plant a tree or care for a plant, walk in the mountains- I become more one with her, and thus more " Natural' in myself'". ( Zohar, 1991, p.149)

The Challenge

It is important to recognise that there is no well-being without nature's well-being. Everyone is at risk from the loss of habitats and a warming planet. The warming climate and wildlife loss show that the relationship between people and the rest of nature is broken. It has become disconnected and narrow. Too often we see nature as something to use, control or as a threat to us. In order to fix this precarious situation we need a new relationship with nature. Indeed, a new relationship with nature can also help tackle the crisis in mental health.

Away from the crises of climate warming and biodiversity loss, there are many signs of the human disconnect with the rest of the natural world. Firstly, our detachment from nature is reflected in our culture.

Kesebir and Kesebir (2017) analysed works of popular culture throughout the 20th century, finding a cultural shift away from nature starting in the 1950s. Books, films and songs reflect the social context of their time, offering an insight into changes in culture over the years. The authors equate nature connectedness to nature references in such works, arguing firstly that they reflect their creators' minds and the social scene. Secondly, that the writer will want the work to resonate with their audiences. According to Kesebir and Kesebir (2017) noticeable dips in nature references occurred alongside the dawns of new technology (television in the 1950s and video games in the 1980s).

Tuning in and noticing nature matters for human and nature's well-being. Yet it appears that most people are tuned out. Indeed, as a society, we are out of tune with the rest of nature. According to recent research carried out by the Nature Connectedness Research Group at the University of Derby alas, approximately 80% of people surveyed claim that they rarely or never watch wildlife, smell wildflowers or draw/ photograph nature. 62% of people rarely or never listen to bird song or take a moment to notice butterflies or bees. Just 6% celebrate natural events such as the longest day. Yet when people are prompted to notice the good things in nature, their nature connectedness and mental health improves. This provides evidence of the causal link between noticing nature, connection, and well-being.With this in mind, when walking in the countryside, you could take time to contemplate the wonder of a waterfall; the blissfulness of birdsong and and the glittering beauty of butterflies.

Could the written word set us apart from nature?

The written word is powerful. It allowed abstract concepts such as brands to become as real as an oak, and for companies to have the same rights as persons. We accept that the written word creates reality. Clearly, the written word makes abstract notions real, yet might it distance us from the reality of nature?

In Becoming Animal (2010), David Abram the philosopher and cultural ecologist, discusses the lessons taught within the landscape and loss of oral traditions of the 'alphabetic civilisation' unable to see beyond the frame of the written word, he writes:

We did not realize that in order to plant them on the page we were uprooting these deep teachings from the soils that gave them their specific vitality … We didn't realize that we were divesting the ground of its voice … Now the paper leaves of the book, rather than the chattering leaves of oak and beech and birch, seemed to hold the ancestral knowledge. Slowly the landscape fell mute.

(Abram ,2010, pp.283–284)

Does the written word effectively reflect who we are and what we've become? It seems that, in many ways, we still view ourselves within the Cartesian tradition; where the subject is seen as separate from object. The invention of 'human' and 'nature' can be seen as a defining feature of modernity.

Clearly, the written word is here to stay. Nevertheless, like any technology it starts to define us and there is a need to use it carefully, to 'frame' problems and solutions. Lakoff (1999) explains how frames define problems and hence constrain solutions, they set the context and provide a viewpoint – strong frames define our common sense. Consequently, it is important to use the appropriate terminology. Indeed, perhaps there needs to be a paradigm change:

Conservation uses the term “ salvation” with great ease. There is much talk of “ saving the world” - that is, of both saving it from us and our abuse of it, and saving it from us and our abuse of it, and saving it for those to come after us. Yet the true meaning of salvation is the fact of being freed from all that binds us and obscures our true understanding; and so it is a very dangerous dangerous, and, at times, destructive force. It calls us to change and to break down the idols we have made of temporal things such as success, money and even comfort. (Palmer, 1988, p.151)

In stark contrast to the often stultifying effects of the written word, the telling of stories is at the very heart of aboriginal life and culture. The core of aboriginal belief is expressed in the notion of the Dreaming. Before the Dreaming began, the land was flat and lifeless. Then came the Dreaming; a time when, from the earth itself or from the waters or the sky, ancestral beings emerged and journey across the landscape. It is probably difficult for us to grasp the concept that the very pathways which the ancestors walked are sacred and meaningful to an aboriginal. Consequently, when white settler colonial culture and its ' developers' dig into land, they perceive as waste land, they cannot conceive of the fact that for aborigines that it, 'is full of purpose and meaning.' ( Palmer, 1988, p.86). Such is the power of the aborigines' sense of nature connectedness that, when settlers have bulldozed water- holes or sacred trees, have tunnelled through ranges, or placed railways across sacred pathways, these actions have beem incredibly traumatic to them, ' as if a force alien to us decided to demolish a city school and hospital with all the children and patients, teachers and nurses still inside in order to make way for a tennis court!' ( Palmer, 1988, p.87)

Clearly, we in modern hi-tech societies, cannot ever hope to have such a strong sense of nature connectedness as the aborigines. Nevertheless, there are things we can do to improve our psychological well-being and environmental awareness. We now know that people with higher levels of nature connectedness are more likely to do more for nature. Both in reducing their impact on the environment through using fewer resources and taking positive actions to help wildlife. A recent systematic review has shown a causal relationship between nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviours (MacKay and Schmitt, 2019). This closer relationship with nature also helps people feel good and function well.

FIVE WAYS TO WELL-BEING THROUGH NATURE CONNECTEDNESS

Connect

Social relationships are important for well-being, be with and talk to people – about anything, about nature.

Take Notice

Be aware of the world around you, savour the moment, notice nature.

Give

Take part in community life, do something for a friend – do something for nature.

Be active

Walk or cycle when you can, to green spaces to connect with others, to notice, to give and learn – connect actively with nature

Learn

Try something new, rediscover your childhood wonder for nature, learn that people are part of the wider natural world and there's no wellbeing without nature's well-being.

As I mentioned previously, Kesebir and Kesebir (2017) identified a cultural shift away from nature with a sharp decline in nature references from the 1950s through to 2000 due to the advent of new technology.

More recently the smartphone has become more widespread – with around 70% of adults in the UK owning a smartphone. Technology and smartphones are often cited as causes of the growing human disconnection with nature. Surprisingly, there is little direct research evidence. but some have set out to examine the relationship between smartphone use and nature connection. Current research into nature connection and smartphone use was published in the?Journal of Behavioural Addictions.(Richardson, Hussain,, & Griffiths, 2018)

The results showed that higher smartphone use was positively related to higher anxiety, time spent on a phone, and number of selfies taken. Nature connectedness was positively related to age and nature pictures taken per week, and negatively related to selfie-taking and smartphone usage times. Problematic smartphone use was negatively associated with nature connectedness, with selfie-taking and phone use emerging as predictors of decreased connection with nature.

Selfie-taking is a pertinent example of how technology shapes and defines human behaviours. Selfies are seen as a self-presentation tool and reflect people's personalities and ideal self-concept. Perhaps the explanation of the negative relationship of selfies to nature connectedness, lies in increased self-interest and self-admiration, in contrast to traits of?openness and conscious self-reflection; they are more likely to provide an understanding of a shared place in the natural world and increased connectedness to nature. (Richardson & Sheffield, 2015)

Nature connectedness is much more than just being in nature or exposed to nature. You can be hiking outside trying to reach the top of a mountain or jogging through the woods whilst listening to your MP3 player, focusing on a geographic goal, or thinking about what you’re going to make your post-run smoothie from without connecting with nature. Nature connection is about really tuning in to your surroundings and noticing what is happening around you. Moreover, you don’t necessarily need to move at all, and if you do, the slower you go, the better you tend to connect.

Why is Nature Connectedness Important?

Nature connectedness is important for two primary reasons:

1. The mental, physical and emotional benefits of connecting with nature

2. The environmental benefits of people experiencing greater nature connectedness

There are significant correlations between nature connectedness and both psychological and social well-being. Nature connectedness has been revealed to be associated with greater feelings of autonomy, personal growth, and purpose in life; lower levels of anxiety, depression and stress; and increased attention span and cognitive functioning. In this way nature connection can bring greater balance to our emotion regulation system and can contribute to fostering two different dimensions of happiness, both joy, and calm.

Importantly, the stronger a person’s connection to nature, the more likely they are to spend time in nature, and experience more of the benefits of exposure to it.

The environmental benefits of people experiencing greater nature connectedness

Just as individual benefits to health and well being are important, nature connectedness can also be beneficial to the wider natural environment, as it is can lead to more pro-environmental attitudes and subsequent positive behaviour. There is a growing body of evidence that people’s relationship with nature profoundly influences their behaviours toward the environment. At a time when the world is confronted with growing environmental threats, better understanding the critical connection between people and nature is key to informing effective decision making, stimulating positive action, and optimising the benefits people and communities receive from nature.

With this in mind, curiously, there is a fundamental wisdom about trees which has existed for many centuries within the Jewish faith. Judaism maintains the view that humanity and trees should co-exist under God, to the benefit of both, the trees providing food, shelter and materials and humanity caring for and nurturing the trees.Tu BiShvat?is a?Jewish holiday?occurring on the 15th day of the?Hebrew month?of?Shevat?(in 2021, Tu BiShvat begins at sunset on January 27 and ends in the evening of January 28). It is also called?Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot?, which literally means 'New Year of the Trees'. In contemporary?Israel, the day is celebrated as an ecological awareness day, and trees are planted in celebration:

The planting of and caring for trees illustrate the Jewish belief that whilst the fruits of this earth are here for us to enjoy, we have to look not just to our own needs but to the needs of those who will come after us. In following this belief, of course, Judaism teaches the basic principles of good tree husbandry and points to the inter-relationship between ourselves and the trees and forests which can so easily be taken for granted. ( Palmer, 1988, p.100)

Pathways To Nature Connectedness

According to the Nature Connectedness Research Group , there are a variety of?pathways to nature connectedness providing?a route for people to develop a new relationship with the natural world. A new closer, healthier and more sustainable relationship with nature comes through noticing, feeling, beauty, celebration and care and the five pathways they identify are:

1. Senses - tuning in to nature through the senses

2. Emotion - feeling alive through the emotions and feelings nature brings

3. Beauty - noticing nature’s beauty

4. Meaning - nature bringing meaning to our lives

5. Compassion - caring and taking action for nature

To conclude, connecting with nature helps to bring us improved mental, physical and emotional health, and provides the foundation for resilient, healthy ecosystems, communities, and economies to thrive and remain for generations to come.

Reference List:

Abram, D. (2010) Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology. New York: Pantheon.

Kesebir, S., & Kesebir, P. (2017) A growing disconnection from nature is evident in cultural products. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(2), 258–269.

Lakoff, G. & M. Johnson (1999). Philosophy in the flesh: The embodied mind and its challenge to western thought. New York: Basic Books.

Mackay, C. M., & Schmitt, M. T. (2019). Do people who feel connected to nature do more to protect it? A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 65, 101323.

Palmer, M. ( 1988) Genesis Or Nemesis: belief, meaning and ecology. London: Dryad Press Limited.

Richardson, M., Hussain, Z., & Griffiths, M. D. (2018). Problematic smartphone use, nature connectedness, and anxiety.?Journal of behavioral addictions, 1-8.

Richardson, M., & Sheffield, D. (2015). Reflective self-attention: A more stable predictor of connection to nature than mindful attention. Ecopsychology, 7(3), 166-175.

Zohar, D. ( 1991) The Quantum Self. London: Flamingo.?